


Footsteps.

by EmmyGreene



Series: Little Things. [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 02:05:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9577388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmyGreene/pseuds/EmmyGreene
Summary: Every night Beth hovers at Daryl's door, tonight she finally knocks.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, thanks for your lovely feedback on 'Close.' earlier this week. I have so many bits and pieces of different stories on the go, so thought I would re-work some and create some new bits to turn it into a series of sorts... this story takes place about 4 nights before Daryl's conversation with Aaron, where he mentioned things had begun to return to normal for him and Beth.   
> This was one of the new bits I wrote to fill in some gaps in my own mind about what's been happening. Could totally be read as a one-shot as well. Hope you enjoy and thanks again for your great feedback!

Daryl lay in bed listening, waiting for the familiar sound of her steps as she padded her way from the window at the end of the hallway to her bedroom. In the evening she climbed out the window and sat on the roof, waiting for the house to fall asleep before she crept back in. Every night she paused at his door, as though she wanted to enter but never did. Tonight though, the pattern of her footsteps was different. She was pacing back and forth in front of his door until finally he heard a knock.

‘C’min’ he called out.

Daryl sat up and reached for the shirt he’d thrown on the floor before bed. He hastily covered himself up as she walked over to the wall beside him and leant against it before sinking to the floor. There was enough moonlight in the room for him to notice her eyes were red and puffy, she’d clearly been crying.

‘Beth’ he said her name softly, he didn’t know what else to say.

She looked up at him.

‘I killed people Daryl’.

He nodded knowingly.

‘I...I..., that’s not me. It’s not who I am.’

‘Who we all gotta be now’ he said flatly.

‘I know’ she sighed ‘It only took me this long because you all protected me and... I kinda felt superior, like I was so innocent in it all. That day Daddy died, I mean I was shootin’ but I didn’t think I’d hit anyone, not really and anyway we were under direct threat then’ she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

She couldn’t seem to keep her hands still, twisting them around each other frantically.

‘I think I went too far... at Grady and now... I don’t know how to go back’. Her breathing quickened and her chest begin to rise and fall dramatically.

Daryl sprang from the bed and crouched in front of her. He took his hands and placed them over hers, hoping to calm her down.

‘They were bad people Beth. You, Noah, holdin’ you there there against yer will. Wasn’t right’.

 

They hadn’t spoken much since that day in Atlanta. She’d reached for Rick’s gun and shot Dawn before anyone could stop her. She’d collapsed after that, shock had set in and Daryl had carried her out of that place. She hadn’t been right since. He’d been looking out for her, made sure she was eating, had water, that she knew he was there whenever she was ready but he’d respected her need for space. He understood that more than anyone else.  He was glad she’d finally come to him tonight, he had been worried about her.

‘I know you’ he said gently, ‘you’re tough. You’re a survivor but you aint a bad person.’

‘Maybe I am’ she replied.

‘You aint. We all got blood on our hands now, don’t make us bad people.’

She looked away, taking a moment to turn his words over in her mind.

He gently began to stroke her hand with his, eventually picking one up and lacing his fingers through it.

‘You ever get lonely on that roof?’ he asked.

Beth shrugged in response.

‘If you want me to come sit with you, just ask. We don’t got to talk or nothin’, just don’t want ya feelin’ you gotta be alone’.

She squeezed his hand with hers.

 ‘Its sleeping on my own I can’t stand’ she whispered, ‘makes me feel like I’m back in that place. I’ve hardly slept since we got here’.

‘Do... do you wanna stay here tonight?’ he asked quietly, hoping he hadn’t misread her previous statement.

She nodded her head slowly

‘Is that OK?’

‘not like you snore’ he said in response as he stood up, Beth’s hand still in his and lead her to the bed.

She settled in on the right hand side, they weren’t touching but she could feel that he was near, hear the sound of his breathing.

‘Thank you’ she whispered.

‘Goodnight’ he replied and lay there watching until she fell sound asleep.


End file.
